Update — 10 October 2014

1. I added some free luminosity mask actions for Photoshop Elements to my website. These were recorded to specifically work in Photoshop Elements, but will work in the full version of Photoshop too. However, the set is limited since Elements doesn’t have all the functions and features of the full version. The actions will give Elements users the opportunity to experiment with luminosity masks by adding these techniques to their image-developing toolkit. You can get them here.

2. I received word from a couple of users that the recent update to Photoshop CC 2014 (release 2014.2.0) appropriately resizes the TKActions panel for high-density monitors. Before, the 240 px x 826 px dimensions for the panel displayed as actual pixels, which meant that the panel was almost too small to use on the new monitors. With the latest update, though, the panel is now the right size for easy use on high-density screens. I’m currently not using a high-density monitor so don’t have any actual experience with this, so feel free to post a comment if your experience differs from what I’ve been told.

3. I just finished a slow, but very satisfying, read through Guy Tal’s latest book “More Than a Rock.” If you haven’t already discovered it, please take a look. It’s a collection of essay’s that will inspire, challenge, and incite a bit of soul-searching in anyone engaged in creative photographic endeavors. His ability to put into words the essence of why we take pictures feels at times like he’s found parts of the soul we didn’t even know about. Guy has a gift for articulating not only what it means to make art through photography, but also shows others how to find this meaning in themselves. If you’re looking for a way to improve your photographs, this book will help you do it without new gear, expensive gadgets, digital gimmicks, or buying more gas. At $4.99 USD it’s an incredible bargain, especially with all the pictures that are included. It’s available on iTunes and as a PDF.

4. I’ve started a luminosity masks discussion group on 500px. If you are interested in discussing these techniques in an online forum, please feel free to join and add your thoughts, questions, and pictures as you experiment. I plan to post my own minor insights from time to time and am looking forward to learning from others as well.

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6 thoughts on “Update — 10 October 2014”

On the subject of actions I wonder if they could be placed in a set rather than many individual action lines in PS. What I am noticing is that running the action from the panel expands the action lines with the result that when using other actions a tremendous amount of scrolling is involved, if they were in a set the top line could be collapsed.

I tried unsuccessfully created a set and nesting your actions within. It didn’t work.

That’s a good idea, Stephen, and I’m actually working on it. It will take a quite a bit of work to reprogram the panel, but I do think I can eventually make these action sets easier to manage. Stay tuned.

The update that is important is the update to Photoshop CC 2014. The Creative Cloud app will tell you whether or not you are up-to-date. If you are using CC 2014 and you have the version of the panel released in mid-May 2014 (http://www.goodlight.us/writing/actionspanelv3/panelv3.html), then this update to CC 2014 should allow the panel to appear normally on high-density monitors. The update is completely internal to PS CC 2014 and is not something that has been updated in the panel itself. Also, the update does NOT apply to PS CS6 or PS CC (non-2014). It’s only PS CC 2014 that has been updated by Adobe to make panels appear proper-sized on high-density monitors.

Thank You. I’ve used your Gimp luminosity mask plug-in for years. I’m switching to Elements. Don’t know which was a bigger relief, that Elements supported luminosity masks or that you had actions for them.